Joel Edgerton Joins Johnny Depp Mobster Drama “Black Mass”

May 15, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

joel-edgerton Joel Edgerton just joined Michelle Williams in thriller remake “The Double Hour”, but he’s not done yet. Deadline reports Edgerton has also just closed a deal to join Johnny Depp in Whitey Bulger mobster drama “Black Mass.”

Depp plays famed mob boss Bulger in the Barry Levinson directed film, which chronicles Bulger’s rise and fall and capture in 2011, aided in great part by FBI agent John Connolly (Edgerton), a childhood friend of Bulger’s and his brother’s. Initially lauded for his help in Bulger’s eventual capture in Los Angeles, the truth soon began to spill out that Connolly had actually been aiding Bulger’s evasion of the law, feeding him info about the FBI’s attempts to capture him. Connolly was eventually convicted of racketeering and obstruction of justice. Mark Mallouk adapted the script from Dick Lehr and Gerald O’Neill’s book “Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob.”

Edgerton broke out in 2010 Australian crime thriller “Animal Kingdom” and has not slowed down a bit since. Last seen in “Zero Dark Thirty”, he’s currently in Cannes with “The Great Gatsby”, which opened the festival today and in which he plays Tom Buchanan opposite Carey Mulligan’s Daisy. After Cannes he heads back to New Mexico where he has been shooting troubled Western “Jane Got a Gun” with Natalie Portman. He’s also wrapped filming on indie Aussie drama “Felony” with Jai Courtney.

Joel Edgerton Joining Michelle Williams in Remake of “The Double Hour”

May 15, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

joel-edgerton Michelle Williams has found herself a co-star for the remake of “The Double Hour” that she committed to back in December. Deadline reports Joel Edgerton will play the male lead opposite Williams in the remake of the 2009 Italian thriller.

The original film followed a maid and an ex-cop who meet at a speed-dating event and retreat to his place for a little privacy, only to be interrupted by robbers who appear to be in cahoots with the maid. No word on how closely the English-language remake will follow that twisty premise, as the new logline is much more vague: “A psychological thriller that tells the story of two lovers who find themselves victims in the midst of a dangerous and well planned robbery.” Joshua Marston wrote the script and will direct the remake.

Olivia Wilde and Mark Duplass Have a “Reawakening” in Medical Thriller

May 13, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

“Jiro Dreams of Sushi” director David Gelb is set to direct Olivia Wilde and Mark Duplass in medical thriller “Reawakening”, according to Variety.

Wilde and Duplass will play two of a group of medical research students who discover a way to bring subjects back from the dead – but of course with sinister consequences. The project is described is having “Frankenstein” themes but with a twist, and sounds to me like Stephen King’s “Pet Semetary” may be an influencer as well.

Duplass is the indie scene multi-hyphenate and mumblcore staple whose latest films behind the camera were “Jeff, Who Lives at Home” and “The Do-Deca-Pentathlon” and who has branched out to acting in more mainstream films such as “People Like Us” (also co-starring Wilde) and “Zero Dark Thirty.” Wilde, one of the busiest young actresses in Hollywood, was last seen in magician comedy “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” opposite Steve Carell and has Ron Howard’s “Rush” out later this year opposite Chris Hemsworth. She recently wrapped up shooting “Third Person” opposite Liam Neeson.

Jessica Chastain Joining Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar”

May 2, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Christopher Nolan’s space epic “Interstellar” just got a little more stellar. Deadline reports Jessica Chastain is now in talks to join the cast that already boasts Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway.

The project has been in development for years, at one point with Steven Spielberg attached to direct, but now it’s being fast-tracked with Nolan on board directing from a script written by his brother and frequent collaborator Jonathan Nolan. Like everything he does, there are very few plot details available, but it deals with a group of scientific explorers who encounter time travel and alternate dimensions through a wormhole, or “a heroic interstellar voyage to the farthest borders of our scientific understanding.” Filming will probably begin soon as the film already has a November 7, 2014 release date.

Chastain is staying as busy as ever since being nominated for her second Oscar for Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty.” She’s already filming the first follow-up, Liv Ulman’s adaptation of “Miss Julie”, and will do Guillermo Del Toro’s “Crimson Peak” in the spring of 2014. That film reunites her with Emma Stone, with whom she co-starred in “The Help”, which landed her her first Oscar nom in 2011. Just yesterday she became attached to WWII drama “The Zookeeper’s Wife.”

Jessica Chastain is “The Zookeeper’s Wife” in True Life WWII Drama

May 1, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Jessica Chastain is buying a zoo. THR reports the two-time Oscar nominee is attached to star in an adaptation of Diana Ackerman’s non-fiction bookk “The Zookeeper’s Wife”, with Niko Caro attached to direct.

Ackerman’s book is based mostly off of the diaries of Antonina Zabinski, the wife of zoologist and Polish resistance member Jan Zabinski. When the Nazis invaded Poland and took over Warsaw, the Zabinskis took in and saved the lives of over 300 Jews by smuggling them into empty cages and their own home. While her husband went off to fight, Antonina “kept a mix of humans and surviving animals (lynxes and hyena pups, among them) humming in a one-of-a-kind community that included socializing and even the occasional piano concert.” Rights are expected to go out to buyers at Cannes.

This is the third movie Chastain has committed to since being nominated for her second Oscar for Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty.” She’s already filming the first, Liv Ulman’s adaptation of “Miss Julie”, and will film the second, Guillermo Del Toro’s “Crimson Peak”, in the spring of 2014. That film reunites her with Emma Stone, with whom she co-starred in “The Help”, which landed her her first Oscar nom in 2011.

Leighton Meester and Jeremy Strong Join Robert Downey, Jr. Dramedy “The Judge”

April 4, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

jeremy-leighton “Gossip Girl” star Leighton Meester and newcomer Jeremy Scott have rounded out the cast of family dramedy “The Judge” starring Robert Downey, Jr., according to Variety. Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D’Onofrio and Billy Bob Thornton also star.

In the David Dobkin-directed film, Downey will play a big city lawyer who returns to his childhood hometown to defend his father (Duvall), the town judge, against murder charges. He sets out to investigate the crime and reconnects with his estranged family along the way. Farmiga beat out Elizabeth Banks for the role of Downey’s ex-girlfriend, while Meester will play her daughter. Scott will play Downey’s youngest brother.

The film marks Meester’s first acting role since “Gossip Girl” ended its run after six seasons on The CW in December. She was last seen in Adam Sandler comedy “That’s My Boy” and “The Oranges” opposite Hugh Laurie. Stage actor Scott has appeared on and off Broadway and most recently took supporting roles in “Lincoln” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” He’s currently filming the role of JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald in “Parkland.”

Jessica Chastain Sought to be Jane to Alexander Skarsgard’s “Tarzan”

March 6, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

jessica-chastain Well, this is hardly a surprise and it’s probably too early to tell if they can actually get her, but The NY Post reports two-time Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain is the first choice to play the female lead role of Jane in David Yates’ new live-action adaptation of “Tarzan.”

It appears at this point that no actors have been officially cast yet, though last we heard, “True Blood” star Alexander Skarsgard was Yates’ first choice to play Edward Rice Burroughs’ famous jungle-born hero, in this tale set years after he has reintegrated back into human society. One day, “he’s asked by Queen Victoria to investigate the goings-on in the Congo. Tarzan teams with an ex-mercenary named George Washington Williams to save the Congo from a fierce warlord who controls a massive diamond mine.” Samuel L. Jackson is reportedly being eyed for the role of the mercenary, and the film had been tentatively scheduled for a shoot this summer, though as far as we know, it still doesn’t even have an official green light yet. But you gotta believe if they could snag someone of Chastain’s level for Jane, a green light would come a lot easier.

It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Chastain could say yes to such a commercial project after making a name for herself in serious dramas like her Oscar-nominated roles in “The Help” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” She first said yes but then dropped roles in both “Iron Man 3″ and upcoming Tom Cruise sci-fi thriller “Oblivion.” She has only booked one new project since her second Oscar season winded down, an adaptation of the August Strindberg play “Miss Julie” opposite Colin Farrell that Liv Ullman will direct

Jason Clarke In, Chris Hemsworth Out of Thriller “Candy Store”?

February 27, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

jason-clarke Last we heard back in November, Australian action star Chris Hemsworth had attached himself to Stephen Gaghan’s crime thriller “Candy Store”, but that may no longer be the case. In an interview with MTV at the Oscars on Sunday, Hemsworth’s fellow countryman Jason Clarke offered up that he will star in the film.

The film follows an elite operative who retires to Brooklyn, only to find the enemy he once fought setting up shop in his new neighborhood. It’s possible Hemsworth is still attached to the role of the protagonist while Clarke will play the villain, but since Hemsworth’s attachment was tenuous at best even at the time we reported it, it seems much more likely that Clarke, with an increased profile in Hollywood, will be taking over the lead role.

Clarke, one of our Faces to Watch in 2013, had a hell of a 2012 with roles in John Hillcoat’s “Lawless” and Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty”, in which he gave a scene-stealing, Oscar-worthy performance opposite Jessica Chastain. In 2013 he’ll see Channing Tatum starrer “White House Down” and Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” released, and most recently he landed his biggest role yet, as the lead of Matt Reeves’ sequel “The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”

Jason Clarke to star in “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”

February 19, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

jason-clarke “Zero Dark Thirty” breakout star Jason Clarke has signed on to topline sequel “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”, the follow-up to 2011′s surprise hit “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”, reports THR. Matt Reeves is taking over directing duties from Rupert Wyatt and Clarke is the first actor to sign on to the sequel. Original stars James Franco and Freida Pinto are not expected to return.

Part of the reason they will likely not return is because the sequel takes place 15 years after the events of the first film, which saw genetically fortified apes – led by Andy Serkis as Caesar – launching a successful revolution and overtaking humans. Part of the story will follow a group of scientists still trying to survive alone in San Francisco, while another storyline will follow Caesar’s ongoing struggle to remain in control of his new kingdom. Presumably Clarke will play one of the scientists. Filming is set to begin this spring.

Clarke, one of our Faces to Watch in 2013, already had a hell of a 2012 with roles in John Hillcoat’s “Lawless” and Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty”, in which he gave a scene-stealing, Oscar-worthy performance opposite Jessica Chastain. In 2013 he’ll have Channing Tatum starrer “White House Down” and Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby”, in which he plays Isla Fisher’s husband, to show off his considerable talents even more.

Chris Pratt to play Star-Lord in Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy”

February 5, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

chris-pratt It appears shortlist stories are becoming more unreliable and obsolete by the hour because another high profile project has cast its lead, and it’s someone who was not previously reported to be in contention. Deadline reports Marvel has found its lead for “Guardians of the Galaxy” in “Moneyball” and “Zero Dark Thirty” star Chris Pratt.

Pratt beat out the likes of Joel Edgerton, Eddie Redmayne, Jim Sturgess and Zachary Levi for the role of Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, the leader of the intergalactic superheroes. James Gunn will direct the Marvel Phase 2 film this summer for a scheduled August 1, 2014 release. Pratt is the second alumn of The WB series “Everwood” to land a major Marvel role. Last week Emily VanCamp landed the female lead in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” Abbotts FTW!

Aside from “Everwood”, Pratt is currently a regular on NBC comedy “Parks and Recreation” but has been branching out to dramatic big screen roles, the most current being a reluctant baseball player in Bennett Miller’s “Moneyball” and a Navy SEAL in Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty.” Both films received Best Picture Oscar nominations. He recently wrapped up comedy “The Delivery Man” opposite Vince Vaughn.

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